Civic Stadium Groups Look to the Future

In Eugene’s rainy spring, Save Civic is an umbrella — for two smaller Civic groups, that is. The movement to save the old wooden stadium, formerly home of the Ems, has refined itself into Friends of Civic Stadium, centered on historic preservation, and Civic Stadium Sports and Entertainment, focused on business and future activities.

On May 10 the Save Civic groups will come together to update supporters on recent developments. Chairman Dennis Hebert says that Civic Stadium, with the surrounding fields at South Eugene High School, Amazon Park and Roosevelt Middle, is the ideal location for minor league soccer and for sports tournaments. “The whole combination comes up with like 10 soccer fields in the area,” Hebert says. “Be it soccer, be it lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, rugby or whatever, that gives an opportunity to have a regional tournament there.”

Civic Stadium Sports and Entertainment commissioned a study to examine the level of local support for minor league soccer, and Hebert says they found the response encouraging — and a natural step forward for Civic. “Civic started out as football, morphed into baseball, and I guess it’s time to slip back into that cocoon and come out again as a soccer venue.”